Cigarette dispenser and igniter



Jan. 2, 1968 B. LESTER CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND IGNITER Filed July 7,1965 FIGS United States Patent Ofifice 3,361,894 CIGARETTE DISPENSER ANDIGNITER Borislav Lester, Temora, New South Wales, Australia, assignor offorty-nine percent to George Stimson, Temora, New South Wales, AustraliaFiled July 7, 1965, Ser. No. 470,085 2 Claims. (Cl. 219-261) ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE In a combined cigarette dispenser and igniter thecigarette is moved when desired to an igniting position in which it isheld between a suction device and an ignition coil, the latter of whichadvances gently towards the end of the cigarette by thermal expansion ofa wire included in the ignition circuit. A time delay device cuts offthe ignition circuit and the suction and the ignited cigarette is thenmoved to a delivery position.

This invention relates to a cigarette dispenser and igniter,particularly one for use in automotive vehicles.

One form of cigarette lighter in use in automotive vehicles includes aremovable element in the dashboard which is pressed in to energise anelectric element in it or in part in contact with it to bring theelement or a portion of the element up to ignition temperature so thatwhen the element is removed and it or that portion of it placed at theend of a cigarette, same is ignited. Another type of cigarette lighteris of the type where a cigarette is inserted into a recess which iselectrically heated. In both these constructions considerable driverdistraction takes place and it necessitates the use of one of thedrivers hands for some seconds. Furthermore, there is the generalinconvenience of having to remove a cigarette from the package orholder. Such constructions moreover do not provide suction means to drawthe cigarette which may make it difiicult to ignite the latter.

The present invention relates to an improved but already known type ofcigarette dispenser which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages andmakes provision for cigarette dispensing by providing a cigarettestorage magazine and cigarette dispensing means adapted to deliversuccessively and singly as required cigarettes to ignition means whereinone end of the cigarette is located adjacent the ignition means and theother end adjacent suction means, the ignition means and suction meansbeing operable upon the operation of a mechanism for the insertion of acigarette therebetween, there being a timing device arranged to causedisconnection of the current supply to the ignition means and transferof the cigarette to a delivery position.

The present invention provides a cigarette dispenser of the improvedtype hereinbefore defined including an electrically heated wire adaptedby its thermal expansion to permit movement of said igniting meanstowards the cigarette, and by its contraction to move said ignitingmeans away from the cigarette, and wherein said timing device includesthermally responsive means arranged to interrupt the fioW of current tosaid wire, said igniting means and an electrically actuated means formaintaining a support for said cigarette in a cigarette ignitionposition and thus permitting said lighted cigarette to be trans portedby said support to a cigarette removal position.

The invention further comprises a cigarette dispenser of the improvedtype hereinbefore specified, including a length of electrically heatedwire having high thermal extension properties which has one of its endsfixed in an insulated manner to the dispenser frame and its other endattached to a spring biased and pivotally mounted arm which supports thecigarette ignition means, a sup- 3,361,894 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 portfor said cigarette for holding it in an ignition position andtransferring it to a removal position, an electromagnetic coil with asliding core which is connected by linkage to said cigarette support, aset of contacts engageable by the movement of said cigarette supportinto a cigarette selecting position and through which electric currentpasses to said coil, to said ignition means, to said extensible wire andto a thermally operated circuit breaker.

Preferably the relay or timing device also disconnects the suction whenthe ignition means is removed.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a cigarette dispenser andigniter made in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional end view along the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2showing the parts in their cigarette dispensing positions and FIGURE 5is a wiring diagram for the dispenser illustrated in FIGURE 1.

An elongated normally vertical cigarette receptacle 10 is provided atits lower end with a metering device including a pivotted arcuateportion 11 in which the lower most cigarette 12 will rest and which isrotatable about an axis so as to discharge that cigarette 12 whilstpreventing the cigarette 13 immediately above from falling onto saidarcuate portion 11. When it is returned to its initial position itreceives the next cigarette 13 and so on. A slide 14 attached to thereceptacle and adapted for arcuate movements about its support 141 isprovided. In a delivery position it receives the cigarette 12 whichrolls to where the slide 14 terminates in spaced arms (or cradle) 15which carry the cigarette 12 during the lighting operation and supportit at the completion of such operation before it is removed.

There is provided a supporting member 16 secured to a frame 17 whichcarries the cigarette receptacle 10. The supporting member 16 carries anelectromagnetic coil 18 provided with a sliding plunger 181, the saidplunger is connected to the member 14 by a linkage 142 with a pivot 143and two universal joints 144 and when the coil 13 is energised, theplunger 181 withdraws into the coil 18 and through the linkage holds theslide 14 in its lowermost and delivering position, which is also theignition position for the cigarette 12.

At one end of the receptacle 10 and within frame 17 there is providedignition means 19, which is electrically heated and supported by a lever31 pivotally mounted on the receptacle 10, Whilst at the other end thereis provided adjacent the frame 17 a chamber 20 including a filter (notshown) which is in communication through a control valve 21 to a vacuumsystem which on an automotive vehicle is desirably the engine manifold.This vacuum system serves to draw air through the cigarette 12 whenignited by the ignition means 19. The chamber 20 has an aperture 191which is located axially with respect to the adjacent end of thecigarette 12 when it is positioned in the ignition position in thecradle 15.

The slide 14 is coupled through a linkage 23 to the portion 11. Arcuatemovements of the shaft 141 for supporting the slide 14, to which thelinkage 23 is connected, transmits arcuate movements to the shaft whichsupports the portion 11 to which a further part of the linkage 23 isconnected.

The slide 14 is spring loaded towards its uppermost position and thelinkage 23 operates a rotary and spring end view along section lineloaded valve 21 to open and close the vacuum line 24 as the slide 14moves between its lower and uppermost positions respectively.

When the cradle and slide 14 are actuated by hand to deliver acigarette, movable and fixed contacts 25 and 26 respectively are broughttogether which permits an electric current to pass through a thermalrelay 27 to the aforementioned electromagnetic coil 18 and to theignition means 1%. The current to the ignition means 19 also passesthrough a resistance wire 28 (in series or parallel with it) which itheats and in so doing allows it to expand. One end of the resistancewire 28 is fixed to the receptacle 10 in an insulated manner at 29 andthe other end is attached to the arm of the lever 31 which is pivotallymounted on the receptacle 14). The lever 31 is connected to one side ofits pivot to a spring 32 which urges the coil 19 towards the chamber 20and to the other side of its pivot to the resistance wire so that as theresistance wire 28 is heated and expands the spring 32 is permitted topull the lever 31 so as to move the ignition means 19 which comprises aflat spiral coil of resistance wire mounted on the lower end of saidlever 31 towards the other end of the cradle 15, i.e. the end where thesuction aperture is located. A steady contact (after an initial warmingup period) with the cigarette 12 is thus maintained by gently engagingthe ends of the cigarette between the ignition means 19 and the suctionaperture. The engagement is progressive as the wire 28 expands andadjusts automatically for minor variations in cigarette length. By thetime the relay 27 terminates the ignition operation the burning of thecigarette at a rate exceeding that of movement of the ignition coilreleases the cigarette from engagement therewith. The amplitude ofmovement of the filament is constant, but the stationary position of thefilament is adjustable, which in itself alters the extreme position ofthe filament towards the cigarette at the time when the heated wire isfully expanded. When properly adjusted for a particular length ofcigarette, the filament, when activated, will exert slight pressure onthe cigarette, moving it until it stops against the suction orifice. Theheated filament will continue moving towards its extreme position, butat a slower rate than the burning rate of the cigarette, thereforereleasing the cigarette from any tension, and allowing free discharge ofthe cigarette into the delivery position. The adjustment of the suctionbox is therefore only a supplementary adjusting means for very shortcigarettes.

The thermal relay 27 terminates the current supply to the ignition means19 and the electromagnet 18 after a predetermined time interval thuspermitting the plunger of the electromagnetic coil 18 to release themember 14 to return to its normal position under its spring biasing inwhich position it presents the cigarette 12 lit and ready for removal.When the cradle 15 returns to this position it closes the rotary vacuumvalve 21 through the linkage 23.

A release mechanism (not shown) may be provided to prevent delivery of afurther cigarette when it is desired to relight a cigarette by placingit on the cradle and bringing it into contact with the ignition 19 meansand suction.

Means (not shown) may be provided to vary the initial spacing betweenthe ignition means 19 and the suction aperture so as to accommodatevarying lengths of cigarettes. This may take the form of an adjustmentconnected to the ignition means 19 or a sliding tube journalled in theaperture and provided with holes or slots which are always located inthe chamber or in communication therewith so as to maintain suction atthe end of the tube in all its positions of adjustment. For this effectthe tube may have an inclined slide at its end so as to always displacethe cigarette towards the ignition means. Desirably, this slide mergeswith the respective end Wall of the cigarette holder.

The cigarette receptacle may be proportioned so as to receive adisposable package containing cigarettes to obviate the necessity ofloading the receptacle by dispensing direct from the package.

The assembly may be covered by any suitable cover plate so as to blendin with a vehicle dashboard or the like. Desirably such a coverincorporated visual means to reveal the contents of the dispenser.

The control of the dispening of cigarettes may be carried out by aremote control, by an electromagnetic arrangement using a contact-0r oralternatively by direct manual mechanical control as illustrated in thispreferred embodiment, the contacts 25 and 26 being closed manually bydepressing the member 14 and the rest of the cycle being automatic andbeing terminated by the action of the thermal relay 27.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette dispenser and igniter comprising a cigarette storagemagazine, cigarette dispensing means adapted to move cigarettessuccessively and singly from said cigarette storage magazine to acigarette igniting position, ignition means adjacent one end of acigarette when in said cigarette igniting position suction meansadjacent the opposite end of said cigarette when in said cigaretteigniting position, means operated by said cigarette dispensing meansenergise said ignition and suction means, a timing device to deenergizesad ignition and suction means and transfer means to transfer thecigarette from the said cigarette igniting position to a deliveryposition, the improvement consisting of said timing means comprising awire, means arranged to be energized together with said ignition meansto electrically heat said wire, means responsive to thermal expansion ofsaid wire to permit movement of said igniting means towards saidcigarette and by contraction of said wire to move said igniting meansaway from the cigarette, said thermally responsive means being arrangedto form part of said timing device and to electrically operate saidigniting means and to release said cigarette dispensing means from saidcigarette igniting position for transport of the ignited cigarette tosaid cigarette delivery position.

2. In a cigarette di penser and igniter comprising a cigarette storagemagazine, cigarette dispensing means adapted to move cigarettessuccessively and singly from said cigarette storage magazine to acigarette igniting position, ignition means adjacent one end of acigarette when in said cigarette igniting position, suction meansadjacent the opposite end of said cigarette when in said cigaretteigniting position, means operated by said cigarette dispensing means toenergize said ignition and suction means, and transfer means to transferthe cigarette from the said cigarette igniting position to a deliveryposition, the improvement consisting of a wire of metal having highthermal expansion properties, means arranged to be energized togetherwith said ignition means, electrically to heat said wire, meansresponsive to the length of said wire to permit consequential to thermalexpansion thereof movement of said igniting means towards said cigarettewhen in said cigarette'igniting position and responsive to contractionof said wire to move said igniting means away from said cigarette, aframe constituting part of said cigarette dispenser, an insulatedconnection be tween one end of said Wire and said frame of saidcigarette dispenser, a spring connected to the other end of said wire, apivotally mounted arm arranged to support said cigarette igniting meansin a position adjacent one end of said cigarette when in said cigaretteigniting position, a connection between said arm and the other end ofsaid spring, an electromagnetic coil, a sliding core in saidelectromagnetic coil, a linkage between said sliding core and saidcigarette dispensing means, and a set of electrical contacts arranged tobe closed upon manual actuation of said cigarette dispensing means tomove said cigarette dispensing means to said cigarette igniting positionand to be opened upon movement of said cigarette dispensing means tosaid cigarette removal 1,927,800 9/1933 Mann 219-261 X position, andelectrical connections between said con- 1,994,712 3/ 1935 Isaacs219-261 tacts, said coil, said cigarette ignition means and said ex-2,002,492 5/ 1935 Dess 219-261 X tensible wire, together with terminalsto place a battery 2,132,771 10/1938 Aronson 219-261 in circuit withsaid electrical connections. 5 2,226,250 12/ 1940 Mayer 219-267 X2,419,458 4/ 194-7 Mayer 219-263 X References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS RICHARD M. WOOD, Primary Examiner. 1 50 15 11 192 pengilly 219 21 V. Y. MAYEWSKY, Assistant Examiner.

1,711,936 5/1929 Gintanner 219-261 X 10 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,361,894 January 2, 1968 BOrislavLester It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numberedpatent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Column 4, line 26, after "means" insert to Signed and sealed this 1stday of April 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

